Sandy Says:
I was wondering about the oil cleansing method (OCM) for cleaning skin. Scientifically, how does it work? And what is it in olive and castor oil that help the skin?
The Right Brain Replies:
People who believe in the Oil Cleansing Method say that you can rub a mixture of olive and castor oil onto your skin to dissolve makeup, dirt, and oil and then you can wipe the gunky mixture off with a cloth to clean your skin.
This idea does make some sense scientifically when one considers the chemical principle of “like dissolves like.” At this point you’re saying either “Ah, yes, like dissolves like, I remember from high school chemistry OR “Cut the geek speak and just tell us if this works or not.” *Sigh* It’s not easy being Brainy…
Anyway, scientific theory aside, we don’t have a clear cut answer about this practice. We haven’t been able to specifically find any data to show that the OCM causes acne or has any other negative side effects, but neither have we been able to find anything positive on it from dermatologists. In fact, based on what we’ve seen dermatologists say the best cleansing routine involves using a mild synthetic detergent to get rid of oil. (Although, to be honest, we’re getting conflicting messages from derms. On the official Academy of American Dermatologists website, they state that using plain soap and water is the best way to clean skin. This advice strikes us as odd since soap has been proven to be drying to skin.)
Confused? So are we. We have two opposing views of how to clean your face: do you use straight oil or plain soap? Which way is best? The Beauty Brains suggest you experiment to find the way best for your skin. You can mix olive oil and castor oil as described here and use that to clean your face for a week. Then the following week use the soap or synthetic cleanser of your choice. A week may or may not be long enough to decide for sure, but you should start to get a pretty good idea of what feels good for your skin. And of course you can also alternate using the two methods.
The Beauty Brain’s Bottom Line:
The Oil Cleansing Method could be good for certain skin types but we can’t find any data to show how effective it is over time. If anyone has already experimented with technique, please let us know.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
What about cleansing oils, like Shu Uemura? I’ve been using it for a year now – it’s very gentle on my skin and removes all of my sunscreen (regular cleansers leave residue).
Shu Uemura Cleansing oils and others contain polysorbate, in contact with water these cleansing oils transforms into a milky white. I like it’s effect on the skin… It’s really very gentle…
I was using Dermalogica exclusively for years. They came out with Precleanse, an oil based first step cleanse. You use it dry.
I read the ingredients and decided to make my own.
If you apply the oil first on DRY skin, then add water, it does remove lots of makeup and debris. The second cleanse, with African Black soap, removes what is left.
I do facials daily in my salon and would not think of not washing the skin twice. Makeup just does not come off with one wash. Some women cake on the makeup/foundation!!! I need to get it off!!!!
buenos dias,
Lynnette
I have try the cleansing method (well, sort of) for 3 weeks and like the result very much so far. My skin is a bit irritated from Differin and using normal cleanser makes it feel very tight and uncomfortable afterwards (I used Alpha Hydrox Foaming cleanser). Now i just use Baby oil to remove make up and silicone-based sunscreens and take all off with a microfiber cloth. My skin feel clean yet soft. I’m acne-proned but haven’t broke out from this.
Phuong
This came up in google…and it shows a comment made on this page/website where someone claims to cleanse their skin with baby oil.
Please read the label where is says Ingredients: Mineral Oil.
Mindeal Oil causes occlusion (it seals off your skin) as will any petroleum derivative. Be aware that the skin cells cannot carry out their functions and sweat is trapped in your pores (even if its not a hot day). When the cells cannot function, your skin ages prematurely. And trapped sweat is a known irritant.
Just thought you should know.
Lisa,
I’m a bit surprised that the brains haven’t responded to your comment yet, but perhaps since this is an older post your remarks slipped under the radar, so to speak. Or perhaps it’s because they’ve already addressed this issue:
http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/11/28/the-top-5-myths-about-mineral-oil-part-1/
The truth is, your information on mineral oil (and petroleum) is outdated, or perhaps you’ve just been mislead by the establishment. The myth that mineral oil is bad for skin is arguably one of the most perpetuated myths in the entire beauty industry.
In fact, mineral oil and petroleum are completely non-comedogenic, meaning they do not clog pores. When testing for comedogenicity, a scale of 0-5 is used, with 5 being the worst in terms of clogging. Mineral oil & petroleum are both zeros on this scale- meaning they carry no discernible risk of blocking pores. Incidentally, they’re both also zeros in terms of irritation on both scales.
http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acnedetect.htm
This information is based on peer-reviewed, published literature:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20050527/mineral-oil-cleared-of-pimple-rap
You are correct that mineral oil is considered an occlusive ingredient, but this does not mean that it clogs pores, and is certainly not a bad thing. Indeed, our skin needs occlusive barriers to prevent moisture loss. Even Acne.org is careful to point out that mineral oil is innocent of it’s bad reputation:
http://www.acne.com/prevention/skin-basics/makeup-and-acne/
So you see, there’s really no reason Phuong or any one else should worry about using mineral oil on their skin; it’s one of many safe, viable options out there
Thanks Jessica. Yeah, we’ve already addressed this so we didn’t get a chance to go back and direct Lisa to the post.